Divider for cementitious floors



Patented Dec. 27, 1921 [I 4.1! .4 w ,J,

L. DEL TURCO. DIVIDER FOR CEMENTITIOUS FLOORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY|7.'192|. 1,401,590.

IINVENTOR ATT NEY.

LOUIS DEL 'ruaoo, or

Pica.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY. A

DIVIDER FOR GEMENTITIOU FLOOR S.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dc, 27, 1921,

Application nseam 17, 1921. Serial lilo 470,235.

Toalz who'm it may concern- Be 1t known that I, .LOUIS DE'Ii Trmoo, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident 'of Newark, county of Essex, and State of iNew Jersey, have invented certain new and and is inserted in the underbedof the floor and projects'up so as to be flush with the top surface or wearing surface of the floor,

and not only localizes cracks if they, appear, but makes thelaying of the floor less expensive as it saves timeand labor. J v

The invention is designed to provide a strip which is easily made and easily installed in the work being done, and is constructed so that the strip keeps its position in the floor even should cracks appear-along :the edge, andialso in case there is a slight settling or buckling of the floor, slnce'the strip is tightly secured against movemen up'or down after it is in the'floor.

The present strip is used similarly to the one described in my Patent No. 1,368,374,-

i'ssued Feb. 15, 1921, and is adapted for use in the method described in said patent.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying. drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional perspective showing a form of my .new strip in a floor, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of strip.

' The .concrete foundation of the floor is shownat 10, and on this is laid the underbed 11, usually of cement, sand and grit, and while this is still'wet the strip 12 is forced down through it, this being possible on account of the thin form of strip which is de void of flanges or other obstruction. These strips canbe either laid so asto form de signs in the floor and 'at'the same time subdivide the floor into, panelsor borders and also localize any cracking that may take place, or are also well adapted for use in plain floors to fgrm joints over beams, girders or other places where the flooris likely to crack. The strip is corrugated, usually to form an ogee curve or an S-shapedcurve 13 connecting upper and lower-straight reaches 14 and 15, respectively, of the strip.

This curve oifers no resistance to the insertion of 'thestrip and the wet underbed a 11 closes in around the Strip and the curves the wearing surface 16 of terrazzoor similar material is laid, the strip being so firmly held that it maintains its position and the .materialof the layer 16 can be poured and troweled and rolled without displacing the strips, which, ,in their placing, were so disposed that their top edges are level with the finished floor. r

. When any cracking occurs it takes place alongside the edge of the divider strip, where it is practically unnoticed. In case of cracking at this place the divider strip does not sink below the top surface of the floor, nor does it project therefrom in case of any slight unevenness or settling of the floor due to such cracking, since the strip can not itsfinsertion in the wet underbed of the ,fioor.-

' In Fig. 2 I show a modified form of strip which includes abase 17 which is usually made of wood or' some similar material that is expansible slightly when wet, which has the metal strip 12 inserted in its top edge so that they are secured together and can be handled as a unitary article, the strip being corrugated, as at 18, ad'acentto its connection with the base strip 1 7.

This form is preferably used where a sand cushion 19 is laid over the foundation 10,.

\ and then the underbed 11- is placed' on the sand cushion and, in turn, is surmounted by the wearing or terrazzo surface 16. This structure is also held against any vertical movement relative to' the floor by reason of the corrugation being embedded in the floor, and the wooden base strip 17 when it is inserted in the wet; underbed, swells on ac- ,count of becoming wet, and when the under- ;bed sets and becomes solid, the wooden base strip 17 dries out and performs the function of an expansion joint, because when it dries it shrinks and leaves a void around the strip, that is, a clear space, since the wood draws away from the underbed and leaves point any cracking that may occur in the floor, so that haphazard cracks or uneven cracks runnmg over the panels of plam SM:

- are straight and alongside the strip andface of a floor are avoided, since these cracks therefore unnoticed. I

To make it easier to insert the strip shown in Fig. 2, and to force it down through the underbed 11, I provide said base strip with a pointed bottom edge, as shown at 20.

llclaim: 1. A'divider for use in terrazzo and similar flooring consisting of a strip of metal having a straight portion at its top edge and being corrugated intermediate of its top and bottom edges.

2. A divider for use in terrazzo and similar flooring consisting of an imperforate strip of metal having straight top and bottom-edges and having a longitudinally extending corrugation between said edges.

3. A divider for use in terrazzo and similar flooring comprising a base strip of material adapted to be expanded when wet and oreno to shrink when dry and a metal strip having straight top and bottom edges and a longitudinally extending corrugation between said edges, the bottomedge being secured to said base strip.

4. A divider for use in terrazzo and similar flooring comprising a base strip of material adapted to be expanded when wet and to shrink when dry, said strip having its bottom'edge pointed, a metal strip having straight to and bottom edges and having a longitudinally extending corrugation intermediate of said edges, the lower edge of said metal strip being embedded in the top edge of the base strip, whereby the two strips form-a unitary article.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereto set my hand, this 14th day of May, 1921. p i

Louis nan Trace 

